Moscow's Squirrels Are Disappearing From City Parks

Squirrels are disappearing from Moscow's city parks at an alarming rate. The cause, according to the Associated Press, is a pet craze sweeping the Russian capital.

City officials received reports of people poaching squirrels in the city's parks. The squirrels aren't taken for their meat or the paltry amount of fur they have to offer: They're resold as Moscow's hottest new home accessory.

Additional police patrols have been dispatched in the parks to fend off and fine the squirrel-nappers. The fine for stealing a squirrel from a Russian park is a sizable 20,000 rubles ($573).

The website selling the wild animals claims that they are “friendly and gentle.” But those claims have been called into question by experts such as Alexei Gorelov, who heads Moscow's Ecological Control unit. His warning for all would-be squirrel owners: "[Wild] animals have to be enjoyed from a distance."

Moscow's retirees miss the presence of the furry creatures in the parks and the chance to feed them. "We should gather people together and pelt the person who [poaches the squirrels] with snow," retiree Alexandra Mishenko told the AP.

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